Woods Mill nature reserve, Henfield

Woods Mill nature reserve in Henfield is the headquarters of the Sussex Wildlife Trust and an environmental education centre. Running through the reserve is the Woods Mill Stream, which was in need of restoration so it could become a fully functioning river.

The Trust has worked in partnership with the Environment
Agency and received £50,000 funding from Viridor Credits as well as
funding from Natural England, to re-naturalise the area and include
a fully functioning river system reconnected with its floodplain.
The project has also created a new habitat for wetland bird species
such as snipe, kingfisher and little egret, as well as dragonflies
and bats who feed on insects attracted to the water.

The stream has been moved from its
present course to the lowest point in the floodplain by the
creation of gentle meanders, riffles (areas of fast flowing water)
and oxbow lakes. During the winter months, water will overwhelm the
surrounding fields creating valuable wetland grazing marsh - ideal
habitat for wildfowl and wetland birds. The line of the old river
will still retain some water, providing a static pool for pond
insects and small mammals such as the water shrew. The Environment
Agency is also constructing a fish pass upstream of the restoration
site to allow fish such as sea trout to access new breeding
grounds.

"When the project is completed there
will be greater habitat diversity on site enhancing everyone's
enjoyment during a visit to the Woods Mill nature reserve. Visitors
will be able to walk around the new landscape (when it is not
flooded) and see the river course develop and change into a new
valuable wetland habitat from specially constructed viewing
platforms. "Steve Tillman, Reserves Officer at Sussex Wildlife
Trust.